Madness moves front and center

Tuesday

Mar 25, 2008 at 12:01 AM

Was that enough madness for you last week? Western Kentucky's buzzer-beater to beat Drake, Stephen Curry's heroics for Davidson against Gonzaga and Georgetown, and Stanford's overtime thriller against Marquette.

Was that enough madness for you last week? Western Kentucky's buzzer-beater to beat Drake, Stephen Curry's heroics for Davidson against Gonzaga and Georgetown, and Stanford's overtime thriller against Marquette.

The NCAA Tournament never fails to satisfy, and there are two weeks to go before a national champon is crowned.

Ponder that and these Random Thoughts for a Tuesday morning:

» Stanford men's basketball coach Trent Johnson apologized for being ejected during the first half of Saturday's game with Marquette. He went on to infer that the team would be better off without him. Let's hope his players don't have to find out Friday against Texas.

» Nothing would be finer than for Washington State to beat North Carolina in the East Regional semis on Thursday. The Tar Heels showed no class in running up the score on Arkansas on Sunday.

» Bryon Nelson's record of 11 consecutive PTA Tour victories is safe after Tiger Woods finished fifth at the rain-delayed CA Championships. This guy is so good that it's news when he doesn't win. Now that the streak is over, he can focus entirely on the season's first major, The Masters.

» USF's once-proud men's basketball program is a mess. Jessie Evans officially was fired last week and plans to sue the school for the remaining two years of his contract. Eddie Sutton, who went 6-13 after replacing Evans in December, wants to be considered for the job next season, though he said the Dons have less talent than any team he has coached in 37 years. USF needs to distance itself from Sutton and find a coach who can restore pride on the Hilltop. Who better than USF alum Bill Cartwright?

» The Stockton Ports will be a focal point for the Oakland A's this season, as the organization is reloading through its farm system. Keith Liepmann, the franchise's director of player development, said the Ports' starting pitching rotation could be among the best in minor-league baseball. Get your tickets now.

» Stockton Thunder fans have only three more opportunities to help the franchise claim its third consecutive ECHL attendance title. More important, the team needs all the help it can get to earn a playoff spot. Stockton finishes the regular season with four games on the road next week.

» Pacific swimmer Ja-Neil Bragg out of Sierra High didn't attain All-American status at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships last week, but she always will be considered a winner.

» Any illusions Barry Bonds might have had that his legal problems were deterring teams from offering him a contract should be dispelled by now. His perjury case has been pushed back three months and still he's had no reported meaningful talks with a major-league club. It's the baggage Barry carries, not the case that is turning teams off.